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by kosame



Category: Shortland Street
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexy April, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Missing Scene, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 16:53:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18664465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kosame/pseuds/kosame
Summary: "Where'd you go last night?""I crashed at Gerald's. I didn't tell him why."A missing scene from episode 4406





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**Author's Note:**

> Missing scene from episode 4406: Hunter comes home after Morgan's funeral to find Callum has offered to let Rachel, who everyone thinks killed Morgan, stay with them. He agrees Callum should let Rachel stay but is too upset to sleep under the same roof as her.

A rap on the door pulled Gerald out of the mindless state he'd reached scrubbing at the sink. Pausing for a moment to collect himself, he put down the sponge and walked around the counter and up to the door of El Rancho.

"Sorry to come round so late," Hunter with a tension tempered by exhaustion in his voice, "but do you mind if I crash here tonight?"

"No, of course not, come in." Gerald said flatly, moving aside for Hunter and closing the door behind him.

"Thanks, mate," Hunter said, dropping onto the sofa. Gerald followed, glancing over at the sink before turning himself away from it and towards Hunter instead.

"Is everything all right?" Hunter snorted, and Gerald quickly backpedaled. "I mean, of course it's not, I was just wondering why--"

"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped.

Gerald opened his mouth as if to snipe back, then closed it again and whirled around to march over to the sink to grab the sponge. "Of course not." he asked, painstakingly evenly.

The sound of scrubbing against the counter filled the silence for a few long moments before Hunter finally sighed and relented. "It's not-- It's just been a long day."

"For both of us," Gerald agreed, softening.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't impose on you at a time like this." Hunter's age was forever causing him trouble, but unlike the brash immaturity that normally colored his personality, at that moment he sounded _young_.

"Oh, don't be silly," Gerald said, solicitous, throwing the sponge back into the sink and coming over to sit next to Hunter on the couch, draping a comforting arm across his back. 

"You just buried your _wife_."

While his first instinct was to correct him, something about the entire concept brought Gerald up short. He thought for a moment before responding, "On paper, maybe, but you're just as entitled to mourn Morgan as me." Hunter started to shake his head, but something felt like it was sliding into place for Gerald, "No, you are. And you're allowed to lean on me, too. I want you to."

"Why?"

"Well, she loved us, and we both loved her."

"Exactly. No offense, mate, but Morgan was really all we ever had in common."

"But we were partners, weren't we? I'm not going to just _abandon_ you now that she's-- gone." Gerald's voice broke on the last word, but he held his ground, staring Hunter down.

There was a time not that long in the past that Hunter would have vehemently argued against that assertion, but in his second show of maturity in one night, he took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let blew it out. "You know what? You're right. Thanks."

Mollified, if a bit surprised, Gerald smiled brightly. "Good. Anytime."

"Anyway, I'm knackered, so I'd better turn in."

Gerald hesitated, not feeling like the conversation was quite finished, but whatever he'd been on the verge of realizing before had slipped away when Hunter had surprised him by accepting his sympathy. "Oh. Right." He stood, bringing his fingers together in front him in nervous energy, glancing around. Hunter would surely sleep on the couch rather than disturb Morgan's room, which meant he couldn't very well continue to scrub at imaginary dirt in the kitchen. He had no choice but to face his bed.

Hunter must have seen something in his expression, because this time it was his turn to put a hand on Gerald's elbow. "Try and get some rest, eh?" he said gently.

With a wan smile, Gerald turned to head to his room. "Good night, Hunter."

"Good night."

**Author's Note:**

> _**How far do you think Shortland Street can push the envelope and challenge people in the 7pm timeslot? Is there anything you won’t do?** _
> 
> _HD: The only stories that I think are off limits are the stories that do more harm than good in terms of the viewers. I would never be okay with a story that would make people angrier or more militant against vulnerable people, but if it doesn’t do that then bring it on. I’ve always wanted to do a cannibalism story, and no-one will let me do a thruple. [...] I have pitched it often. I think you can get a lot of stuff happening if you do it in the spirit of fun. Fun and truth. What is really happening out there? What is resonating with people? What’s really going on in this country? Zeitgeist stuff – when you can get it, it’s amazing._
> 
> [Feb 17, 2017 Interview with Harry Dickinson, _Shortland Street_ writer and actor who played Gerald](https://thespinoff.co.nz/tv/17-02-2017/when-its-going-well-you-can-get-away-with-a-fuck-tonne-shortland-streets-blue-and-gerald-on-bringing-lgbtqia-to-ferndale/), who apparently has not actually watched Shortland Street and realized there already was a _de facto_ thruple and he was in it.


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